Post-Trip Q & A

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." –- Henry Miller

So I've been back in the USA for 6 days and so far, so good. I'm slowly easing into "Western" life and culture again. I've spent some time with family and friends and am getting a lot of questions from them, so I thought I'd answer a few of them for all of you, too.

Favorite country?

Sorry folks, but that one is impossible to answer. Too many favorites, each country was completely different. I loved the mountains of Nepal, the food and sensory excitement of India, the people and learning in Guatemala, meeting family in Poland, seeing friends in Holland and Vietnam, the children of Laos and so much more. Perhaps an easier questions would be "what was your LEAST favorite country." Thailand gets that honor. Too shiny and Western for my liking.

How was my health?

I fared remarkably well! I was told before I left that 70% of our immune system lies in the health of the flora of our intestines. So, I took Acidophilous Pearls every day (Great for travelers. They are compact and don't need refrigeration.) I had a few bouts of travelers diarrhea but for the most part they lasted 12 hours or less. I had a bit of chest congestion in Thailand, but that was directly related to the crummy air quality as it was the season of slashing and burning. A constant smoky haze hung in the air there. I twisted my ankle on the Annapurna Sanctuary trek and it re-twisted a couple of times during the trip, most notably at Angkor Wat. And I had the worst asthma attack of my life in Guatemala, the result of an encounter with a moldy, mildewy bed. Nearly had to find a doctor at midnight in a small town, but cured myself by breathing eucalyptus steam for a couple of hours. Otherwise, not even a cold!

What did I miss?

Besides people, I missed mostly things that involved food. Great big fresh, wild greens salads. Good chocolate. Cheese, like the kind you find at the Whole Foods cheese counter...I'm drooling just thinking about it. And, cooking. I did get to do a bit while traveling, but really only a handful of times. The best was a full day with Lidia in her kitchen in Guatemala. We made mole (chilies, tomatoes, pure chocolate and lots of spices and secrets), a delicious Caribbean fish soup, a few traditional vegetarian Mayan dishes and traditional Mayan hot cocoa with REAL, freshly ground cocoa beans!! I missed having more than 3 changes of clothes, 4 pairs of underwear, soft sheets and comfy beds and pillows, hot showers (usually they were cold or lukewarm, and with weak pressure), and having more than 32 songs. My dear friend Scott had given me his old MP3 player loaded with 32 great songs. So while they were all songs that I loved, after a while I got a little tired of them, as you can imagine. I'm considering the proper funeral ceremony for an antiquated electronics device. Ideas?

Traveling alone?
To be honest, traveling alone is a fallacy. In my experience, I was virtually never alone. I can think of maybe 10 times in 10 months that I was really, truly alone. But virtually never lonely. When you travel, wherever you go, you meet people who are doing the same thing that you are doing. Interesting, fun, adventurous people - exactly the kind that I wanted to hang out with. I met hundreds of people that I hope to stay in touch with, and a few, cherished friends that I know will be in my life forever! The hardest part about "traveling alone" is getting on that first airplane, and then getting off at a new place without someone by your side. After that, you instantly start making friends, connecting, and creating plans. And it's fun because you are making plans for you and you alone, and not by committee decision.

How much did it cost?

Not including my international flights, I spent an average of about $40 per day, which included all domestic travel, food, lodging, sightseeing, adventures, gifts, shipping, missed flights and haircuts. Also, the places I traveled were fairly inexpensive to live, but it would certainly be possible to spend a lot more, or a lot less. I stayed mostly guest houses or with families for the most part, and ate at local places that tended to be cheaper. Also, I flew on several segments of the trip that would have been much less expensive to go overland, but because of time considerations I spent the money to fly. Cheapest countries were Nepal and Vietnam. Most expensive certainly was Europe, but after that probably Cambodia.

Did you feel safe?
By and by, I followed a few simple rules that served me well:

1) Always look like you know where you're going, even if you don't
2) Don't make eye contact with strangers (hard one to do, but an effective technique)
3) Don't get drunk, do drugs, or do anything to dull your mental acuity.

Other than that, I was just aware of my security and well-being at all times and exercised an awful lot of common sense. It worked well for me.

Country with the best food?
That's a tough question, really tough. Certainly Nepal, Laos and Cambodia had the worst, but the best... probably India. That is, after all, where I gained at least 5 pounds! Dosas, curries, steamed bananas, chapati's and coconut chutney on everything! Despite how tasty the food is, it can be a bit heavy and oily at times. So a very close runner up is Vietnam. Though I spent less than a week there, I was staying with the Food Queen of Saigon. Marjie made sure that I ate the best that her neighborhood had to offer for every meal. Even between meals we found excuses to try something new. And most surprising to me there was the abundance of fresh squid in the cooking. In the states, squid is generally called calamari and deep fried. But there, they made soups and stir frys and sautes and so much more with it, and it was DELICIOUS! I'm looking forward to finding the best Vietnamese restaurant in Seattle to see how ours compares. Any suggestions?

Most Memorable Person(s)?
Gerdien, hands down. We spent over 4 months together and had immeasurable amounts of fun. But I also can't fail to mention Kuba and Kasia, my new Polish family.

Biggest Disappointment?
Hands down, not being able to be with Sadie in her final moments. That was terrible, and I'm grieving again now that I'm home.

Worst Accommodations? Best?
Probably in Madurai, India where I was for the Presidential Inauguration and I insisted (ask Gerdien) on finding a hotel with cable television. We settled on the first place we saw, because we were both weary from long bus rides and hot temperatures. The place had filth on the walls, dirty sheets, leftover garbage from a previous tenant...and CNN. We stayed, but it was only my skepticism at finding somewhere else in our price range with cable television! The best accommodations were everywhere that I stayed with my mom in Germany and Poland...I was beyond grateful for the respite from lukewarm, dirty showers and rock hard beds. Thanks Mom!

What's Next?

I'm still technically on my peregrination. I only traveled out of the country for 10 months but wanted to spend some time re-integrating in Seattle when I got home. So that is what I am doing right now...enjoying the Indianola beach, catching up with friends, doing a 10-day silent meditation retreat, camping, hiking and just chilling out. Starting September 1, I will get serious about planning my next career move as I have decided to follow my heart into a new profession. Not sure yet what that will be, but I'm definitely feeling drawn into the travel and tourism industry. Stay tuned for details on a tour that I will lead to India next Fall 2010, and let me know if you want to be on the list for details and pricing!

In hindsight, I can't believe my good fortune on this journey. I left a couple of weeks before the economy went down the toilet so I didn't have to hear all the depressing news, I missed all the political ads and campaigning (though still got to vote), met so many amazing friends, learned so much about so many things (not to mention myself), and came home richer despite my tanking 401(k). Life is definitely good. To me, the impermanence of money was a major lesson on this trip. Everything is fleeting, except for this very moment.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

I plan to continue my blog as my life unfolds, and also will do a few final wraps on the trip - including a post on essential items to pack on trip like mine.

With gratitude,
Pam